Passing One Year in Our Mission

Chrise and I passed one year in our mission this week. We only have six months left. So far, it has far exceeded our expectations. The work we do every day fills us with a satisfaction that we are doing something very worthwhile and important. We met a couple from Utah in the Mexico City Temple who are serving their second mission. When I asked the sister if she missed her home, she said, “What could we do at home that would be more important than this? Being here blesses our family far more than we could if we were with them.” This good sister had been preparing most of her life for this opportunity.

I don’t want to mislead you. It is hard being away from home and from those I love. There are many times that I wish I could be with them. I’ve been homesick a lot. Though I love the people here, this is a strange culture, very different from home. We have been pushed out of our comfort zones, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

But it’s the hardships that make the good experiences all the sweeter, and I’ve talked about the good a lot in my blog. Though I have passed sixty-five years old, this one year here serving our have Heavenly Father has changed me and touched me far more than decades of my former life. Living the life of ease, it is very easy to lose track of time and waste time in life, but here every day and just about every hour counts. We are touching people’s lives, and we can see the difference we are making as instruments in His hands. There is no feeling that surpasses the feeling that comes with this. We all have a mission here in life and many of us mistake it to be involved with worldly things. The true mission, the true joy in this life comes through serving Him.